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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29286069">forever is how long i will wait</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lire_Casander/pseuds/Lire_Casander'>Lire_Casander</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>changing the world to be ours [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, Mentions of Mr. Jones, Mentions of Pods, Mentions of kidnapping</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:46:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,740</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29286069</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lire_Casander/pseuds/Lire_Casander</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>michael has been looking forward to this valentine’s day for years</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gregory Manes/Isobel Evans, Michael Guerin/Alex Manes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>changing the world to be ours [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2147247</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Malex Cupid 2021</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>forever is how long i will wait</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>beta’ed by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/manesalex">manesalex</a></p><p>title from <i>forever</i> by to have heroes</p><p>written for <a href="https://malex-cupid.tumblr.com/post/641665312227573760/join-us-in-celebrating-malex-love-for-a">Malex Cupid 2021</a>, <b><i>day #3: valentine's day + “do you know what today is?” + favorite kiss</i></b></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Do you know what today is?” </p><p>Michael looks up from his work bench to the door of the garage, where he spots Alex standing on the threshold. Heʼs holding three markers in his right hand, and there’s a big daisy painted on his cheeks with what Michael hopes is some sort of removable body painting. </p><p>“Itʼs Sunday,” he chooses to play it cool. He would have never forgotten, but he still likes to tease his husband from time to time. </p><p>“Michael,” Alex calls his name in a way that makes Michael believe that heʼs being scolded by someone who's lovingly fed up with him. He simply shrugs, awaiting for Alex to say something else. “Oh, so you wanna play this game?” </p><p>“I didn’t know this was a game,” Michael says cheekily. </p><p>“Well, since you're so eager,” Alex deadpans. “It’s Sunday, which means it's your turn to wrestle Madame T to her bath.” </p><p>Michael makes a face. Their Beagle is adorable on a daily basis, but she turns evil whenever a bath looms on the horizon. Michael has been in charge of it ever since they found out his telekinesis allowed him to keep her steady at the same time as he manages the bath. That doesn’t mean he likes it. </p><p>“Well, it’s the second Sunday in February,” he tries to amend. He leaves the wrench heʼs been holding on the bench, taking the opportunity to hide his smile from Alex as he looks down. </p><p>“Oh, yeah,” Alex feigns astonishment. “How bold of me to forget that on the second Sunday of every month we take Mara to the Crashdown for a milkshake and fries.”</p><p>Michael laughs. “She won’t be able to forget that promise you made her,” he points out. “You’re too soft with her, Manes, you know that.” Michael gestures in the general direction of Alex’s face, as if trying to prove his point. </p><p>“She wanted to show me how good she’s become at painting,” Alex retaliates. “And it's Sanders-Truman.” </p><p>Michael can't help the warmth that spreads through his body at those words. He would have never fathomed, in his whole life, that at thirty-five he would have gotten rid of the worst of his past — that he would have made peace with his ghosts, let go of his pain and snatched the best man in town, all while paying homage to the two people who had loved him unconditionally. </p><p>The day he made his name Michael Sanders-Truman was the third best day of his life. The second one was the day Alex promised him forever. And the first one. </p><p>The best day — holding Mara, barely three hours old, in his hands — is soon going to be trumped by today. </p><p>“Itʼs also Valentine's Day,” Michael whispers as he approaches his husband. “Iʼm sure <i>someone</i> promised me a date for Valentine's Day.” He wriggles his fingers in a mock seductive way, eliciting a laugh out of Alex. </p><p>He’s about to kiss that smile off Alex’s face when they’re startled by a loud sound coming from somewhere in the house. </p><p>“Daddy, Papa,” Mara calls from the living room. “When are we going to Grandpa Arturoʼs? I want a milkshake!” </p><p>“So demanding,” Michael shakes his head as they both turn around. </p><p>“She definitely takes after you.” </p><p>“Along with my charm.” </p><p>“Canʼt deny that,” Alex replies, leaning in to steal a kiss from Michael's lips. </p><p>“Do you think she remembers what we talked about today?” </p><p>“She’s five, Michael. She’s quite clever for her age,” Alex says. “She takes after you on that as well. We explained it thoroughly. Sheʼll remember.” </p><p>“Papa!” Mara calls out again. They both can hear her footsteps approaching; Michael notices how Alex tries to hide the markers inside one of his pockets unsuccessfully. Thinking that he would love to hear the story behind it — probably how their daughter is going through her yellow phase by drawing daisies and suns everywhere, including her Daddyʼs face — Michael reaches out with his telekinesis and makes the markers fly out of Alex’s hand and into the dustbin that he keeps underneath his workbench. </p><p>“Papa!” Mara exclaims again, showing up from behind Alex, her chubby hands making grabby gestures. “We going to Grandpa?”</p><p>Michael scoops her up, her dark curls bouncing off her forehead with the motion. “Yes, baby girl, weʼre going to see Grandpa Arturo. And Grandpa Walt,” he adds. “Maybe even Uncle Greg and Aunt Isobel if weʼre lucky. You could play with Nora Louise!” </p><p>Alex scoffs. He hides the sound behind a well-placed cough disguised as him clearing his throat. “Uncle Greg might be a bit busy, today of all days, with Aunt Isobel. But I’m sure I can call them and see if we can pick Nora Louise up as well for our Milkshakes Sunday.” </p><p>“How does it sound, baby?” Michael questions in a soft voice. He knows their daughter loves her cousin to bits and pieces, but Mara doesn’t seem too thrilled about it.</p><p>“Auntie Isobel and Uncle Greg always go kissy kissy,” Mara grumbles. Michael knows that she feels a bit unattended when Isobel and Greg are together in the same room — she’s their favorite niece, but they're still in their honeymoon phase and Michael doubts it's going to end soon. </p><p>After all, his honeymoon phase with Alex is still going strong after almost another decade together, even if their beginnings were anything but smooth. </p><p>Michael’s mind takes him back to a particular memory — the morning after that day Alex had gone to the Airstream to talk, he had kissed every inch of Alex’s skin, caressing reverently the stump where the flesh is more tender and sensitive, a reminder of what he almost lost. Michael had said that he never looked away, but he had lied. They had kissed, but they still found a way to hurt each other. Reflecting on what could have been always leaves him in awe at the wonderful life he has now — complete with a Beagle and a child who's currently talking a mile a second. </p><p>“I can play with Nora Louise, but I want milkshake,” Mara keeps saying. “Can we have milkshake?” </p><p>“Mara,” Alex says in a warning voice. Michael both loves and hates it — Alex has enough power to bring him to his knees with just one command, and to make their daughter behave with just one name. </p><p>“You will, sweetie, you will,” Michael promises her as he tickles their daughter. She snickers. “And you know what happens next?” </p><p>“We go pick up Tripp!” she squeals, delighted. </p><p>“Told you sheʼd remember,” Michael tells his husband. Alex simply shakes his head. </p><p>“How about we get you ready to go visit your grandpas?” Alex says instead, picking up Mara from Michael’s arms. “Papa needs to clean up around here.” </p><p>Michael sees them retreating to the bedroom. He turns around to face his workshop; as he takes in the state of disarray throughout the space, he scrunches his nose. He knows that he could use his powers to tidy everything up, but they're trying to limit the use of telekinesis around Mara — and soon around Tripp — because they both agreed that the children would need to learn things the human way first. </p><p>Michael begins gathering his tools as he muses about how his life has changed in the past eight years. Heʼd given Alex another chance, hoping against hope that he wouldn't be left behind once again — but Alex had also risked everything by trusting Michael again, after everything that happened around the time Mr. Jones came out of his pod. And here they are now — married, with almost two kids, and a chip that says that Michael has been sober for eight years, seven months, three weeks and six days. </p><p>He’s got everything under control in the workshop sooner than he expected. He has to admit that heʼs nervous, and that is fueling his desire to finish up in order to leave the house; he was in a jitter as well the day Liz told them that they could get Mara out of the pod, another Valentine's Day a lifetime ago. If heʼs being honest with himself, Michael has been hysterical from the day he learned that Mr. Jones hadn't been the only one still trapped in a pod in the turquoise mines. There were three <i>living beings</i> there,  one of them a kid, the other two barely babies, in a pod. They have never known who was responsible for that, but they collectively believe the kids were probably the children of the rebels that Mr. Jones had kidnapped for leverage. </p><p>Michael hadn’t cared about the reasons why the kids were kidnapped — he had just wanted to free them. He still remembers the gleam in Alex’s eyes upon standing in front of those glowing pods where they could see the three children floating unconscious. Liz had been running tests, making sure they were fine and trying to find out whether or not they could be taken out, and Michael had only stared at the pods unable to speak. </p><p>“Yes,” Alex had said in a low voice, merely a whisper. Michael had heard him loud and clear, though. “Yes to it all.” </p><p>They had taken the babies out first — Liz had recommended it. Alex had worked hard to create new identities for the kids — Nora Louise Manes-Evans and Mara Mimi Sanders-Truman were born out of thin air on Valentine’s Day, but Tripp Sanders-Truman had needed more time to be born. </p><p>Alex had bought them time, and five years later and a whole world of paperwork and legal issues later, Michael is going to be holding his second child in his arms instead of watching him from outside a pod every single one of those one thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven days since. </p><p>Michael sniffles, the memory fading as he chooses to step out of the workshop to get changed into clothes that aren't stained with oil. They had been newlyweds when the new pods had been discovered, but it hadn't been a difficult decision to make for either of them. </p><p>“Michael,” Alex calls softly from Maraʼs bedroom. “Are you ready to go? Those milkshakes won't wait for you.” </p><p>Michael smiles, replying “Iʼm on it!” before jumping into their bedroom. They have a huge day ahead of them, and he doesn’t want to miss a second of it. </p><p>After all, it’s not an average Valentine's Day unless they’re welcoming a new member to their family.</p>
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